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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Spreading like magic: Why Harry Potter gift shops accused of selling 'poor quality and overpriced' souvenirs are springing up around England - as new HBO series gets set to give franchise fresh lease of life
Unofficial Harry Potter shops are spreading from London to other tourist cities across England as retailers try to cash in ahead of the hotly-anticipated new TV series. Many of the stores sell a range of expensive but genuine merchandise based on the books and films despite being unaffiliated with Warner Bros or author JK Rowling. They are most prevalent in London's West End where there are at least six, with names such as 'Magical Platform', 'Spellbound Emporium' and 'House of Wonders'. But others can now be found in towns and cities popular with tourists such as York, Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury, Liverpool, Alnwick and Stratford-upon-Avon. While some are respected local businesses that have existed for years, others are relatively new openings which are being compared to the candy stores phenomenon - with experts accusing them of selling poor quality and overpriced souvenirs. Names for the independent stores range from 'The Shop That Must Not Be Named' and 'House of Wizard' to 'The Department of Magic Gifts' and 'The Potions Cauldron'. Now, nearly 25 years after the first film came out, shop owners will be hoping that the popularity of the boy wizard is about to be turbo-charged again - with new ranges of merchandise expected when the new HBO series is set to be released in 2027. The original Harry Potter movies starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint grossed nearly $10billion - but it has been 14 years since the last one came out. Many of the products on sale at the stores are inspired by the films, with visitors eager to spend their holiday money on Hogwarts-themed paraphernalia – and the new TV series therefore represents another huge merchandising opportunity. The first unofficial store to open in England was The Shop That Must Not Be Named in York in May 2017, located on The Shambles which is said to be one the inspirations for Diagon Alley in the Potter films. This store was a spin-off from a general gift shop called Give The Dog A Bone, with the owners opening the dedicated Potter store as their range continued to grow. Soon after, the first Potter store in Cambridge - The Department of Magical Gifts - opened in 2018 after the founder Roger Lefever was inspired by what he saw in York. This remained the only Potter store in Cambridge for six years until two more opened in 2024 to cash in on the growing popularity - House of Wonders and House of Wizard. Speaking about his competitors, Mr Lefever told the Sunday Times last week: 'You go in there and you can see they don't care. It's just a money-making exercise.' A pattern of multiple shops in the same city is being repeated across the country – with other stores popping up in York, including The Potions Cauldron which also opened in 2018 and specialises in magical-themed soft drinks. In Oxford, where some Potter movie scenes were filmed, The Shop of Secrets opened in 2019 – with two other stores opening since, named House of Wonders and Wizards Emporium. Other Potter shops to have opened in further towns or cities in recent years include Bowring Hepple Black in Alnwick – close to Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, another filming location. Meanwhile a House of Secrets can be found in Canterbury, Kent; and a House of Spells in both Liverpool and Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. In Central London, there are at least six such shops – including Magical Platform on Whitehall; Wizards & Spells on Oxford Street; and House of Wonders on Buckingham Palace Road. The others are House of Spells on Charing Cross Road; another House of Spells on Henley Street; and Spellbound Emporium on Southampton Row. Proponents of the stores point to this being part of the positive economic impact of the Potter brand, after a study in 2016 by the London School of Economics estimated that it was worth £4billion to the UK tourism industry. But others have raised fears that they are another example of an increasing trend of poor quality shops selling overpriced tat, amid ongoing concerns about the proliferation of US-style candy stores opening in empty retail units since the pandemic. Retail expert Jonathan De Mello told MailOnline: 'I suppose it's filling a need of some sort where these shops are located in tourist destinations like Oxford Street, West End, Victoria, and also Oxford, Cambridge and anywhere where there's a significant amount of tourists. 'It's supply and demand. Harry Potter is very much a British thing and JK Rowling and the rest of it, so it makes sense that it fills that need for people who want that sort of merchandise in the home. 'But if you look at the structure and who's behind it, and it's quite nebulous really in the same way that the candy shops were structured in a particularly convoluted way.' He added: 'Most of them are fairly low quality fit outs, minimal investments. They are certainly a bit more expensive to fit out than the candy shops which are literally bare bones. 'These shops have a bit more about them than that, but it's marginal really because inside the products are displayed in a very poor way. It's just trying to entice young kids to come in with their parents and get them to buy whatever products are in there.' An investigation by the Daily Mail in March discovered that many of the Potter shops, especially those in London, are the latest incarnation of a murky retail network that also includes the candy stores and tacky tourist souvenir outlets. Some of these candy stores have been accused of peddling illegal or unsafe goods, with seizures made by Westminster Council - although trading standards have not found any evidence of improper merchandise being sold at the Potter shops. Speaking about the candy stores, Mr De Mello - founder and chief executive of JDM Retail - said that business rates evasion was a particular problem. He explained: 'As soon as they become due, then the shop closes, another one springs up under a different name and the directors are different. 'I think the landlords that own those properties, from their perspective, they just want to rent the shop out because business rates are so high and by having an occupant in place, they avoid paying the business rates - the tenant pays the business rates in theory. But actually in practice I don't think that's happening.' Directing his attention to the Potter shops, Mr De Mello added: 'These are for me the new candy shops. There might be some that are genuine, I think some of them do have genuine merchandise in them, so I don't want to tar them all with the same brush. 'But to me, there's definitely a significant amount of them that are potentially engaged in questionable business practices, let's say.' Some of the unofficial Potter shops empire is thought to be run by a network of at least nine Indian nationals through a series of 30 companies which regularly change names and locations and exchange directors. A third of the companies have been struck off, wound up or dissolved, often owing debts – including four related companies which owe £400,000 to Westminster City Council. Married couple Safoora Shafeeq and Shafeeq Pallivalappil, who live in Oxford, are directors of 11 retail companies, five of which have previous addresses linked to current Potter shops. But they told the London Centric news site last year that previous legal operators are responsible for the unpaid rates and they were 'awaiting the updated bill to make payments accordingly', and were 'strictly adhering to all legal requirements'. Mr De Mello explained that the Potter shops have become one of 'many examples of brands over-proliferating their products'. The interior of the Harry Potter store at London King's Cross station following a refurbishment Speaking about Warner Bros, he explained: 'What they do is sell their products through wholesalers and then those products are popping up everywhere. 'What these businesses are doing is buying it as cheaply as possible from maybe a more challenged market and then selling it in a higher, affluent market like the UK at a much higher price. 'Warner Bros will be responsible for how they wholesale their products. So you can buy their products through their official stores but also they'll be selling them online to third parties. That's where I think it goes. 'Especially if they're selling into China or somewhere like that – if they get bulk orders from a Chinese website, for example, then who knows where it goes to after that. 'Wholesale margins can be quite high, but they have to sell them for a low price because then the retailer that takes it on sells it for a mark-up. What I think they're doing it is they're not knowingly selling it to these shops directly. 'They're selling it to a wholesaler that's then selling it to somebody else and then these shops are buying or getting these products somehow. So they might be official, from Warner Bros originally, but they've changed hands a number of times - I would have thought - in between.' The proliferation of unofficial Potter shops across England is in stark contrast to the low number of official stores. There is only one official public Potter store in London called the 'Shop at Platform 9 3/4' at King's Cross station. Elsewhere there is also the House of Minalima on Wardour Street which sells the official graphic artwork from the movies. In addition, there is the huge shop at the Warner Bros Studio Tour just outside the capital in Leavesden, selling souvenirs for those going on the £56-a-head experience. Large official Potter ranges can also be found in the capital within the Hamley's toy store on Regent Street; the Lego Store in Leicester Square; and the Palace Theatre where the Cursed Child play is performed. There is also a small shop at London's Heathrow Terminal Five departure lounge - but this can only be accessed when travelling through the airport. The oldest unofficial Harry Potter store in England is the respected The Shop That Must Not Be Named on The Shambles in York, which opened in May 2017 - and others have since copied Mr De Mello said: 'Universal Studios obviously has a big Harry Potter element to it in the US and people love that and go and buy their wands there and that sort of thing. 'Because Warner Bros are so tight with the distribution of their products from their own stores, you have to go to those [unofficial] sorts of places. 'That's why these shops have sprung up, because if the only place you can get a wand is from Universal Studios in the US, and some people are choosing not to do that and getting it from these sorts of places instead. 'Surely Warner Bros don't want that? It means their own shops do less well because they are proliferating their products too much. I would have thought that would impact them. And if everyone's got one it becomes less desirable – that's the kind of mindset people have.' Warner Bros is understood to employ an agency to look at suspected counterfeit products, so they can protect their brand and avoid customers being duped.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
19 "Harry Potter" Actors Who Have Spoken Out Either In Support Of Or Against J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling's views on gender identity haven't just angered fans — they've upset the Harry Potter cast, too. But while some have called out the author's controversial views, others have publicly supported and defended her. Here's where 19 Harry Potter actors stand on J.K. Rowling. Radcliffe — who famously portrayed the boy who lived — spoke out against J.K. following a series of anti-trans tweets in 2020, saying in a letter to The Trevor Project that "trans women are women." ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images, Murray Close / Getty Images 'Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either [J.K.] or I," he wrote. Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, had "complicated" feelings about J.K. He told the Telegraph, "There's a bunch of stuff about Jo. You know, I play complicated people, I'm interested in complicated people. I don't want to get drawn into the trans issues, talking about them, because it's such an extraordinary minefield. She has her opinions, I have mine. They differ in many different areas." Frazer Harrison / Getty Images, Warner Bros / Via Watson publicly disagreed after J.K. made anti-trans tweets in 2020. "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are," tweeted Emma, who portrayed Hermione Granger. She added, "I want my trans followers to know that I and so many people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are." Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic, Murray Close / Getty Images Grint, who played Ron Weasley, said he has a "tricky" relationship with J.K. While he doesn't share her views, he's appreciative of the role she had in shaping his career. "I am hugely grateful for everything that she's done," he told the Times. "I think that she's extremely talented. I mean, clearly her works are genius. But I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that." Dave Benett / Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/WireImage, Murray Close / Getty Images Rankin, who played Percy Weasley, slammed the "damaging" rhetoric in a 2021 interview with the Eastern Daily Press. "I do a lot of work with charities that are LGBTQ+focused," he shared, adding that many of his family members are also LGBTQ+. "It is a huge part of my life and I think, by saying that, you can probably guess where my allegiances lie in that respect." Chris also said, "What is important to highlight is that, when a trans person says they are male or female, that is what they are and that is how we should treat them. It is damaging to them to say otherwise." Comic Relief / Getty Images, Warner Bros / Via Related: You Have Excellent Facial Recognition If You Can Recognize These 12 Celebrities As Kids Beasts star Eddie Redmayne said he disagrees with J.K.'s beliefs — but he also thinks fans have taken their criticisms too far. He told the Daily Mail that some comments were so "disgusting," he even reached out to J.K. over private DMs. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Corbis via Getty Images, Warner Bros / Via Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort, also couldn't "understand the vitriol" directed at J.K. "J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings," he told the New York Times. "It's about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being." That said, he thought: "The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it's appalling." Jeff Spicer /, Warner Bros / Via Malfoy actor Tom Felton has said he hasn't really paid attention to the backlash. "The only thing that I always remind myself is that I've been lucky enough to travel the world," he said at this year's Tony Awards. "Here I am in New York — and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter. And [J.K. is] responsible for that, so I'm incredibly grateful." Jeff Spicer /, Murray Close / Getty Images Related: Courtney Stodden Did A Face Reveal After Dissolving Her Fillers And She Looks Really Different Now Coltrane, who played Hagrid, didn't see the big deal in J.K.'s comments. "I don't think what she said was offensive really," he told the Radio Times, per the Independent. "I don't know why, but there's a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended. They wouldn't have won the war, would they?" John Phillips / UK Press via Getty Images, Murray Close / Getty Images "That's me talking like a grumpy old man," he teased, "but you just think, 'Oh, get over yourself. Wise up, stand up straight, and carry on.'" Weasley actor Bonnie Wright made her thoughts clear when she tweeted support for the trans community amid J.K.'s anti-trans tweets. She wrote, "If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or question," adding that, "Transwomen are Women." Amanda Edwards / Getty Images, Warner Bros / Via Lynch, who starred in Harry Potter as Luna Lovegood, has "compassion for both sides of the argument." Speaking with the Telegraph, Evanna explained, "I know what it was like to be a teenager who hated my body so much I wanted to crawl out of my skin, so I have great compassion for trans people and I don't want to add to their pain." At the same time, she wished people would have "more grace" for J.K. and "listen to her," including when sharing "the voices of de-transitioners." Tristar Media / Getty Images, Jon Furniss / WireImage an interview with the Sunday Times, Helena Bonham Carter criticized the public's "horrendous" treatment of J.K. in response to her tweets. "I think she has been hounded," Helena, who played Bellatrix Lestrange, shared. "It's been taken to the extreme, the judgmentalism of people." She argued that J.K. is "allowed her opinion" and stated the cast "should let her have" her thoughts. "But I think they're very aware of protecting their own fanbase and their generation," she added. Eamonn M. McCormack / Getty Images, Warner Bros / Via Broadbent, who portrayed Professor Horace Slughorn, also shared support for J.K. Reacting to the criticism, he told the Telegraph: "It's really sad. I think J.K. Rowling is amazing. I haven't had to confront [the backlash] myself, but I would support her in that, I think, if it came to it." Dave Benett /, Warner Bros / Via only has John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick) defended J.K. — he's also made several anti-trans tweets of his own, prompting widespread backlash, including from Jonathan Van Ness and former Nine Inch Nails creative director Rob Sheridan. Dave J Hogan / J.K.'s anti-trans tweets, Katie Leung showed support by posting a thread of resources for trans women. Gerardo Mora / Getty Images, Warner Bros / Via Flitwick actor Warwick Davis is "out of touch" with the controversy surrounding J.K. In May, he told Entertainment Weekly: "I don't tend to read the news. It's kind of one of those things I just don't do. So, I'm kind of out of touch with what's going on. It's not really something I'm particularly interested in — producing entertainment is what I do." Karwai Tang / WireImage, Warner Bros / Via Thewlis was also reportedly out of the loop when asked about the controversy in a 2020 interview with the Sunday Times. "I'm not on social media," he allegedly said. Also, "I don't know Jo Rowling – I met her briefly at the premiere – so I don't feel engaged." Jeff Spicer / Jeff Spicer - Getty Images, Warner Bros / Via Melling, who appeared in the movies as Harry's spoiled cousin Dudley Dursley, believes "everybody has the right to choose" who they are and how they want to identify. He told the Independent, "I can only speak for myself, and what I feel, to me, is very simple, which is that transgender women are women and transgender men are men." Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic, Warner Bros / Via David Tennant, who played Barty Crouch Jr., said, "J.K. Rowling is a wonderful author who's created brilliant stories, and I wish her no ill will. But I hope that we can all, as a society, just let people be. Just get out of people's way." Dave Benett / Alan Chapman/, Warner Bros / Via Also in Celebrity: "Overwhelmingly Untrue": Three Months After That Explosive Exposé, Jonathan Van Ness Addressed The Allegations Also in Celebrity: 21 Celebrity Facts That Are, Like, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Shocking Also in Celebrity: "He Growled At Me, Saying He Only Signs Autographs For 'Chicks With Huge Tits'": 19 Infuriating Times People Had First-Hand Experiences With Celebrities Behaving Badly
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Which archipelago is home to Norway's polar bears? The Saturday quiz
1 What is celebrated, mathematically, on 14 March and 22 July?2 Which form of Chinese originated in Guangzhou?3 Summoner's Rift is the main battleground in what game?4 What is advertised as 'Scotland's other national drink'?5 Which archipelago is home to Norway's polar bears?6 Which activist was arrested in Rochester, NY, in 1872 for voting?7 What was the first martial art to become an Olympic sport?8 Which organ produces insulin?What links: 9 Dominic McLaughlin; Jamie Parker; Daniel Radcliffe?10 Riviera's second city; goddess of victory; Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight?11 Star patterns; time travel in Hill Valley; piano; neo-Nazi code?12 Lime Rickey; Arnold Palmer; Shirley Temple; Virgin Mary?13 Political Wife (Sarah Vine); Politician (Rory Stewart) Professional Footballer (Paul Merson); Boy (Robert Webb)?14 Ghost; Lordi; Pussy Riot; Sleep Token; Slipknot?15 Ancelotti; Enrique; Guardiola; Happel; Heynckes; Hitzfeld; Mourinho? 1 Pi (3/14 and 22/7).2 Cantonese (from former name).3 League of Legends.4 Irn-Bru.5 Svalbard (Spitsbergen).6 Susan B Anthony (and 14 others).7 Judo (1964).8 Pancreas.9 Played Harry Potter on stage and screen: forthcoming HBO series; original cast of HP and the Cursed Child; film series.10 Nike: Nice, named after Nike; in Greek myth; founded Nike trainers.11 88: 88 constellations recognised by the International Astronomical Union; DeLorean's 88mph in Back to the Future; 88 keys; numerical code for 'Heil Hitler'.12 Mocktails.13 How Not to be a … books.14 Masked rock bands.15 Managed two clubs to win European Cup/Champions League.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Harry Potter novels now unwelcome in bookstores in this US city
San Francisco bookstores, including Booksmith and Fabulosa Books, have removed J.K. Rowling's ' Harry Potter ' books from their shelves. The decision by the bookstores is a protest against J.K. Rowling's anti-trans views and the recent launch of her private legal fund, the J.K. Rowling Women's Fund. Booksmith stated they would not be part of the fund, characterizing it as an organization dedicated to removing transgender rights. The J.K. Rowling Women's Fund claims to support 'individuals and organizations fighting to retain women's sex-based rights' in various spheres. Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson have publicly criticized Rowling's opinions, while Tom Felton expressed gratitude for her creation.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Michael Cera reveals why he turned down J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts
Michael Cera has been carefully curating his career since he made a name for himself in hits such as 2007's Juno and Super Bad. The Arrested Development actor, 37, has revealed he once turned down a chance to be part of J. K. Rowling 's Harry Potter franchise. The decision to reject the offer wasn't due to the author's stance of transgender rights, which has resulted in many members of the Harry Potter cast distancing themselves from her, including stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. In an appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast, released on Tuesday, Cera explained why he turned down the chance of a lifetime.. 'The Harry Fantastic Beasts. I don't even know if I was offered, I think I just declined to engage with it because, I think it would be like probably six years commitment or something.' Besides the time it would require to be part of such a large enterprise, there was something else holding the director and producer back. 'I did sort of, make a conscientious choice to limit my exposure a little bit, or just try and be a little more in control of it.' he said of his reasoning. Michael Cera, 37, has made a name for himself making a series of smaller, quirkier films, but the actor now says he's more comfortable taking on bigger projects with bigger names; Pictured in New York City in May 'Doing like, especially little kids movies. I had a big fear of doing things that would get me too famous,' he said. That doesn't seem to be as big a concern for The Barbie actor any more. 'I think that's changed a little. I think I've outgrown that particular feeling, but I think that's what that was at that time.' Cera can currently be seen in Wes Anderson's quirky The Phoenician Scheme along some of Hollywood's most celebrated names including Willem Dafoe, Benicio Del Toro and Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Benedict Cumberbatch. 'I grew up watching his[ Anderson's] movies and worshiping him and all of my friends, all of my peers, we were all like, he's the guy.' Cera credits the writer-director for having a big influence 'on my general sense of taste and humor and aspirations as a performer. So, I think if I fit in his thing, it's because I've grown up on him.' The actor, got his start at 14 on the Emmy winning Arrested Development. One of his co-stars, Will Arnett would often complement him. 'Will would say to me a lot, "you're really funny." That was enormous to my self-worth and just self-confidence. Because he's the funniest person I've ever seen. 'I did sort of, make a conscientious choice to limit my exposure a little bit, or just try and be a little more in control of it,' he said on The Louis Theroux Podcast episode release Tuesday; Pictured in New York City in June 2023 That doesn't seem to be as big a concern for The Barbie actor any more. 'I think that's changed a little. I think I've outgrown that particular feeling, but I think that's what that was at that time' The very private actor has been married to his wife Nadine, for an undisclosed amount of time. The Life & Beth actor shared how they met at a bar in Paris on pal Justin Long's Life Is Short podcas t in 2022.' 'There was no shyness, we just kept seeing each other and smiling. It was so comfortable,' the Sacramento star revealed. 'It was a really unfamiliar way to experience a stranger, and I felt like I saw the whole thing.' The couple are parents to two young children. The oldest was born in the fall of 2021 and the younger in early 2024.
